Art: Size

Until the day of his death in 1640, Peter Paul Rubens lived hugely. He
painted more pictures|than any other artist of the era, created
'hundreds of masterpieces. Portrait commissions and diplomatic missions
made him a familiar figure at the courts of Europe, but he could most
often be found at his mansion in Antwerp, surrounded by assistants and
works-in-progress, plus his eight children, hunting dogs, peacocks,
Spanish horses, ancient sculptures and cameos. "His life from one end
to the other," said a French critic, "is one of those which reconcile
us with life. In everything, he is a man who does...